Alberta and Ontario have halted use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after an increase in cases of a rare blood clotting disorder. (The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

VACCINE HICCUP

Two provinces halt use of AstraZeneca vaccine, 20 new COVID-19 cases of Island Health

May 11, 2021 | 4:30 PM

NANAIMO — Canada’s vaccine roll-out plan has hit a bump in the road.

Ontario stopped delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on Tuesday, May 11 after it discovered more cases of a rare blood clotting disorder linked to the shot.

Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s top public health official, said there was an increase of the disorder in vaccinated people, rising from around 1 per 100,000 to 1.7.

Alberta announced Tuesday morning they would also pull back from the shot, citing a lack of confirmed shipments of the vaccine.

In Canada, at least 12 cases of the rare blood-clotting syndrome were confirmed out of more than two-million doses given. Three women have died as a result.

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Across B.C., nearly 2.22 million doses of vaccine were administered as of Tuesday, May 11 including doses of AstraZeneca through select B.C. pharmacies.

The province did not provide an update on their continued use of the shot in their joint statement with public health on Tuesday.

Twenty new cases of COVID-19 were announced by the province for Island Health on Tuesday, however a change in reporting from Island Health sent mixed messages.

The health authority reported 169 active cases on Monday, May 11 including 59 in the central Island region. An updated dashboard now reports 230 active cases in Island Health with 88 on the central Island.

The BC CDC dashboard, updated by public health, have 211 active cases listed.

NanaimoNewsNOW has contacted Island Health to clarify the data discrepancy.

Island Health’s COVID-19 dashboard, published May 10 (left) showed 169 active cases. Their updated dashboard (right) from May 11 counts 230 active. (Island Health)

A further 515 new cases of the virus were confirmed provincially with 6,020 active cases.

Of those considered active, 426 people are in hospital including 141 in critical care while the remainder recover at home.

Two additional COVID-19 related deaths were recorded in B.C. over the last 24 hours, with now 1,624 people having lost their lives as a result of the virus.

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— with files from The Canadian Press

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